Thrill of discovery drives award-winning lecturer
A specialist maths educator who trains teachers to teach maths is the 2019 Australian university Teacher of the Year.
A specialist maths educator who trains teachers to teach maths is the 2019 Australian University Teacher of the Year.
Kevin Larkin, a senior lecturer at Griffith University, won the $20,000 award, announced last night at the Universities Australia annual conference in Canberra.
In his current role he teachers students working toward primary school teaching degrees about maths teaching.
Dr Larkin said even after 37 years of teaching it still gave him “goose bumps” when he shared the joy of learning new things with his students.
“It’s an incredibly powerful experience,” he said. Dr Larkin was chosen from seven finalists for the teaching award.
Other finalists were Monash University’s Simone Gibson, Bond University’s Christian Moro, Monash University’s Alistair Thomson, the University of Queensland’s April Wright, the University of Queensland’s April McIntyre and the UTS Centre for Advancing Indigenous Knowledge.
Also announced last night were four awards for university programs which enhance learning.
Universities Australia president Margaret Gardner congratulated the winners.
“Inspired teaching — the imparting of knowledge, excitement, confidence and wonder as well as the ability to learn — is what the inspirational winners of these awards do, day in and day out,” Professor Gardner said.
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